Rupert Murdoch Apologizes For 'Real Black President' Tweet

The founder of the global News Corp. media empire, Rupert Murdoch, issued an apology Thursday after he faced social media backlash following his suggestion that President Barack Obama isn't a "real black president."

Murdoch, who founded Fox News Channel, apologized Thursday and tweeted that he "personally find(s) both men charming."

Murdoch sparked outrage on Twitter and on CNN Wednesday night when he tweeted praise for GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson, saying he would be a "real black" president, as opposed, supposedly, to President Barack Obama.

Ben and Candy Carson terrific. What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide? And much else.

CNN's Don Lemon opened his show soon afterward saying, "That is a hell of a thing to say in the middle of this presidential race."

CNN media reporter Brian Stelter suggested Murdoch may have been questioning Obama's race, but admitted he might simply have been praising Carson, someone he has been boosting on Twitter for weeks.

"For seven, for eight years there have been challenges to this president's legitimacy, to this president's citizenship, to his and to his legitimacy in office," Stelter said. "We don't know if that's exactly what Murdoch is implying here, but it sure sounds like it."

A spokesperson for 21st Century Fox told Stelter that the company doesn't comment on Murdoch's tweets.

Stelter noted that Murdoch is active on Twitter and occasionally gets into hot water, but added, "This is the kind of tweet that's in a whole other league. This is the kind of thing he's going to have to explain and have respond to."

Former Obama official Van Jones called the tweet "disgusting," and suggested Murdoch was questioning whether Obama is really black since he is biracial.

"To prohibit the blackness of the president – we are now seeing the Donald Trump Effect affect the entire landscape," Jones said.

Murdoch has tweeted against GOP front-runner Donald Trump, raising questions that his tweet was intended more to boost Carson at Trump's expense, Gabriel Sherman of New York magazine told Lemon.

Twitter exploded in response to Murdoch's tweet as well:

I guess the +90% of American Americans who voted for Obama don't realize he's a fake black man. Thankfully we have Rupert Murdoch.

Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch sparked outrage on Twitter and on CNN Wednesday night when he tweeted praise for GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson, saying he would be a "real black" president, as opposed, supposedly, to President Barack Obama.